Embodiments of the inventive concept relate generally to semiconductor memory devices. More particularly, embodiments of the inventive concept relate to methods of programming flash memory devices in a system using a data interleaving scheme.
Semiconductor memory devices can be roughly divided into two categories including volatile memory devices, which lose stored data when disconnected from power, and nonvolatile memory devices, which retain stored data when disconnected from power. Examples of volatile memory devices include dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and static random access memory (SRAM), and examples of nonvolatile memory devices include electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), phase-change random access memory (PRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM), and flash memory.
Flash memory is a form of nonvolatile memory known for having relatively high programming speed, low power consumption, and high storage capacity. Consequently, flash memory has been adopted as a storage medium in a wide variety of electronic devices, such as MP3 players, memory cards, and solid state drives (SSDs), to name but a few. NAND flash memory is one type of flash memory that can provide especially large storage capacity due to its high integration density.
Some nonvolatile memory systems comprise multiple NAND flash memory devices located in a single storage medium and controlled by a single memory controller. These devices are typically accessed in a coordinated fashion in response to commands from a host and under the control of the memory controller.